The realization hit her like cold water—what was she doing? Heat flooded her cheeks as shame and self-consciousness crashed over her. This wasn't like her at all. She didn't do things like this—lying naked in broad daylight, touching herself in a public park, no matter how secluded it seemed. These trails had been part of her childhood, places of innocent exploration and family hikes. What had gotten into her?

  But even as the rational part of her mind protested, something deeper resonated with this wild impulse. Hadn't she come here precisely to reconnect? To find herself again?

  "Connecting with nature!" Nora breathed, the revelation washing over her. "Connecting with myself! Yes, that's what I've been doing all week." The truth of it resonated through her body like a tuning fork struck against a stone. She had reconnected with the world around her, with her parents, even with parts of herself—but always with the past. Never with her present reality, her current self with all its needs and desires.

  Warmth was spreading from within her, from the area near her pubic mound. It lured her and willed her to explore her body like never before. The forest seemed to hold its breath around her, waiting, encouraging.

  Nora touched her flushed cheeks, her fingertips cool against her heated skin. She traced a slow path downward, discovering herself anew. Her nipples stood stiff against her exploring touch, her breasts fuller than she remembered, hypersensitive to even the lightest caress. Something was changing within her—a new awareness and heightened sensitivity that transformed each touch into an exquisite sensation.

  With a decisive motion, she ventured lower.

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  ***

  When Nora's vision finally cleared, she blinked heavily, her mind struggling to catch up with what her senses were telling her. Something had shifted. The meadow remained—soft grass beneath her still-trembling body, sunlight filtering down through leaves—but the quality of the light had changed. It was more golden now, more luminous as if each ray carried its own consciousness. The trees surrounding her stood impossibly taller, their bark no longer merely brown but intricate with swirling patterns that seemed to move when she wasn't looking directly at them. Colors vibrated with intensity, sounds layered upon each other in complex harmonies, scents told stories in a language just beyond her comprehension.

  She hadn't moved physically—her body still lay in the same position on the same meadow floor, the imprint of her form still fresh in the crushed grass—and yet, everything had transformed. The very air tasted different on her tongue, sweeter and more vibrant, carrying whispers of exotic spices and flowering plants she couldn't name. It was as if the boundary between worlds had thinned to nothing in her moment of complete abandon, allowing her to slip through as effortlessly as passing through a veil of water.

  Nora's fingers dug into the soil, seeking something solid to anchor her in this altered reality. The earth felt the same yet different—more responsive somehow, as if it recognized her touch. Slowly, the truth crystallized in her mind: this was unmistakably the forest of her dreams, the realm where Sumi existed. The realization dawned gradually, then crashed over her all at once: she had crossed over.

  The air pulsed with life, rich with the scent of earth and green growing things—familiar, yet heightened, as if she were experiencing them with new senses. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in visible beams, turning dust motes into constellations of floating gold. This forest breathed in a way the one she'd left behind did not—it was aware, watching, waiting.

  Nora's heart hammered against her ribs as she scanned the surrounding trees, hope and fear warring within her. Had she truly crossed over, or was this merely another dream, another cruelly vivid fantasy that would evaporate upon waking? A flash of movement caught her eye—not random but purposeful. The underbrush rustled and parted.

  And there she was.

  Sumi emerged into the clearing like a spirit materializing from myth, her black-and-white fur gleaming with an inner luminescence that seemed to bend the light around her. Her fox-like ears twitched forward, focusing on Nora with laser precision. Those golden eyes—the eyes that had haunted Nora for weeks—sparkled with recognition, surprise, and something more profound that made Nora's breath catch in her throat. Sumi's lips curved into that familiar, knowing smile that had tangled itself around Nora's dreams and refused to let go.

  Sumi's gaze swept over Nora's bare form, lingering on the subtle sheen of sweat and the unmistakable flush of satisfaction that still adorned the woman's skin like a sign of the lover's caress.

  The foxkin purred, her voice teasing as a sly smile played at the corners of her lips. "Well, well, someone's been making the forest jealous," she said, her words laced with playful mockery, tail swishing mischievously behind her. "Such a shame I wasn't here to join in. Or at least to watch." She tilted her head, golden eyes sparkling with undisguised desire. "Imagine all the delicious ways we could've played together under these trees."

  She circled Nora slowly, her movements soft and deliberate. "I love your scent, by the way!" she practically purred, inhaling deeply with evident pleasure. "It betrays your recent... activities. Such a heady mix of sweat and musk that lingers even from here." She leaned in, her breath warm against Nora's ear. "Makes me wonder just how much fun you had without me. Did you think of me while you touched yourself?"

  Nora felt a blush creep up her cheeks, a warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with the sun. Her mind quickly calculated her options—denial? embarrassment? owning it?—before settling on honesty. "You caught me," she said, her voice catching between straight acknowledgment and unmistakable desire. "But objectively speaking, can you blame me? The forest has its... charms."

  Sumi stepped closer, her movements fluid and soft, each step deliberately slow as if stalking prey. The space between them charged with electricity. "Oh, I can see that," she murmured, her fingers brushing lightly against Nora's leg, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Though I must admit, I prefer a more... interactive experience." Her tongue darted across her lips briefly. "Just imagine, wouldn't it have been better with some help? My hands are quite skilled, you know."

  Nora's pulse quickened, her body reacting to the suggestive undertones of Sumi's words. "Is that an invitation?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Sumi's laughter was a melodious whisper on the breeze. "Only if you're ready to handle a foxkin who knows exactly where to touch to make you purr," she retorted, her eyes gleaming with challenge.

  Nora sat up, feeling the cool grass beneath her and the gentle kiss of the wind on her skin. "I think I've proven I can handle quite a bit," she said, her tone matching Sumi's playfulness. "But maybe you should show me what I've been missing."

  Sumi's smile widened, and she leaned in close, her breath warm against Nora's ear. "With pleasure, but we need to help you settle in first." She measured Nora with her gaze. "And probably find you some clothes."

  Nora gasped, only now figuring out that all of her gear was left somewhere far-far away. Forgetting all the playfulness of the previous moments, she covered her sex with her hand, smiling shyly at Sumi.

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  "Right," said Nora. "Clothes! And all my stuff! Everything is left in the park back home!"

  "Now, now," said Sumi. "Everything will be alright. And there's no need to cover up. Every inch of you is delightful. I've seen it all and I thoroughly enjoyed the view!"

  As the initial joy of their reunion began to fade, Nora's heart plummeted with a sickening realization. A tsunami of anxiety crashed over her, drowning out any sense of peace. She couldn't breathe, her chest constricted as she began to hyperventilate, each gasp coming faster and more desperate than the last.

  "Oh my god!" she cried out, feeling the weight of everything she left behind crashing down on her. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, as she moved them to her mouth. "I'm so stupid! My clothes aren't even the biggest of my problems! My work, my apartment...my parents!"

  Panic rose in her throat like bile, suffocating Nora. Her lungs seemed to shrink, each breath coming shorter and more painful than the last. Her vision tunneled, the lush forest around her blurring into smears of green and brown as her heartbeat thundered in her ears with such intensity that she could feel each pulse throbbing in her temples. The ground beneath her seemed to pitch and roll like a ship in a storm.

  Sumi's expression instantly shifted from playful to concerned, her ears flattening against her head in alarm. She knelt beside Nora, her movements no longer seductive but urgent and protective. She placed a calming hand on Nora's shoulders, her touch now gentle and steadying.

  "Breathe, Nora," she said softly, her golden eyes wide with genuine worry. "It's alright. I'm sorry if I overdone it with the innuendos…" Her tail swished anxiously behind her. "Sometimes I just can't help myself and my nature spills out. We'll figure your problems out together." She squeezed Nora's shoulder reassuringly, her clawed fingers careful not to press too hard against the human's delicate skin.

  Nora tried to focus on Sumi's soothing presence, but the fear gnawed at her.

  "What if they think something happened to me?" she asked. "And they will! They will be devastated. What if they call the police? I can't just disappear without a trace!"

  Sumi gently turned Nora to face her, her fox-like eyes filled with reassurance. "Listen to me," she said firmly. "You're safe here. I don't know how to communicate with your world. But you have bridged the distance once, I'm sure you'll be able to do that again! For now, just take deep breaths and try to calm down."

  Nora nodded, attempting to slow her breathing as Sumi guided her through each inhale and exhale. The tranquil setting of the forest began to seep back into her consciousness, and the immediate panic started to fade.

  "I... I don't know what came over me," Nora said after a moment, her voice trembling slightly. "It just hit me all at once."

  "It's alright," Sumi replied, stroking Nora's hair gently. "Well, it's obviously not perfect. All these changes can be overwhelming. I don't know how I would have reacted if I were in your place. But you're not alone in this. I'm here with you, and we'll face whatever comes together."

  Nora felt her racing heart slow as Sumi's words washed over her. There was something in the foxkin's touch that anchored her, a steadiness that seemed to flow from those delicate fingers directly into Nora's frantic mind. The panic was still there, hovering at the edges of her consciousness, but Sumi's presence created a small island of calm in the storm of her thoughts. How strange that a creature she'd first met in dreams could now be her only lifeline in this bewildering reality.

  "Thank you, Sumi," Nora whispered, leaning into the comforting touch. "I don't know what I'd do without you. And I don't know why I even deserve your attention and help. But thank you."

  "You don't have to thank me," Sumi said softly. "But now, let's find you something to wear, and then we can start figuring out how to pass a message to your parents. One step at a time."

  Nora nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "One step at a time," she echoed.

  Seeing that Nora wasn't as panicked anymore, Sumi rummaged through her backpack, her clawed fingers deftly sorting through her supplies. She pulled out a thick, fleece blanket, its fabric worn soft from years of use, carrying the faint scent of herbs and something sweet and unfamiliar—a smell that was uniquely Sumi's.

  "Here," she said. "I don't have any spare clothes, I didn't know I'd have to come prepared this way. But I usually take this blanket with me when I leave home for a long time. It should comfort you."

  She wrapped the blanket around Nora's trembling form and hugged the woman.

  "Everything is going to be alright," said Sumi.

  ***

  Sumi worked with practiced efficiency, her movements fluid and purposeful as she gathered a few large stones to form a perfect circle. Her hands moved in a blur, arranging kindling and branches in a precise pattern that spoke of years spent mastering woodland survival. With a flick of her wrist, she sparked her lighter, and the flame caught instantly as if the wood itself were eager to please her. Soon, flames danced merrily within the stone ring, and a pot of water caught the firelight as it began to simmer, sending tendrils of steam spiraling upward into the cooling evening air.

  "Nora," she said softly. "I think you should know that. I've been trying to reach you. All these weeks, I felt a feeble connection but something stopped me from getting through."

  Sumi handed Nora a mug of herbal tea and sat beside her on the log.

  "I know what you are talking about," said Nora. "These were the hardest weeks of my life. I tried everything to get back to this glade. There were many other presences there, in my dreams, but nothing concrete. Nothing I could figure out. I was sure I've been losing my mind…!"

  She looked at Sumi searching for support and understanding.

  "Now, I'm not even sure what was real and what was just a consequence of those long sleepless nights," Nora continued. "Something tried to speak to me… Once, they told me I had to fill myself with Love. And it felt like Love with a capital L, you know? Things just can't get any more ridiculous than that, can they? Was it some sort of missionary shit where they try to give you a book that has all answers?!?"

  Nora started laughing helplessly.

  Sumi's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in disbelief. She shook her head and whispered something inaudible to herself.

  "You are scaring me," said Nora. "What is it?"

  "It can't be...!" Sumi said, now loud enough for Nora to hear. "I felt the spark between us... And the way our hands brushed during our first encounter... It's impossible."

  This didn't dissolve Nora's worries, though.

  "Sumi, please stop mumbling," she said. "I don't understand. Wasn't that just some projection of my tired consciousness?"

  "Don't you see," said Sumi. "So many of the things you experienced recently can be perceived in the same way? No, it's something much more serious, and I'm a bit scared if I'm being honest."

  "Let me guess, there's also a God of Love?" Nora asked with a wry smile, the sarcasm a flimsy shield against the madness of her situation. "All-powerful and he plays with people's fates, not caring much if mortals get damaged in the process?"

  Sumi looked at Nora in disbelief, her pupils dilating until her golden eyes were nearly black. She slowly shook her head, and her ears perked forward with such intensity that they quivered with tension. "No, not a god..." she said, her voice dropping to a superstitious whisper that seemed to make the very air between them grow still. The campfire dimmed for a heartbeat as if bowing in reverence. "But there is a Goddess of Love."

  "Now you are just pulling my leg!" Nora exclaimed. Yet the deadly serious expression on Sumi's face made her stomach tighten with apprehension.

  "I'm sure," Sumi began explaining, "that it was the Goddess who put me on my way to meet you. And I'm grateful to her! It was a truly fateful moment!"

  "So, you are being serious," said Nora, a frown on her face. "Well… Damn. Should I stop making all the blasphemous jokes from this moment on? Will some powerful being strike me with lightning for my atheistic stance?"

  "I don't think so," said Sumi. "The Gods of this world aren't that petty. They have some interests and from time to time may bless a mortal to use them in one way or another. I can't tell you much, I don't normally have any business with all that divine stuff. Well, I didn't normally have to deal with that. Not anymore, obviously, now, that I have you."

  Sumi paused and softly patted Nora on her back.

  "But it seems that it's exactly your case," Sumi continued. "I don't have a different explanation for why a person would have been brought from another world to ours."

  "Oh…" sighed Nora, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of Sumi's blanket. "Like there weren't enough problems on my plate already. Now there are Gods with their own agendas."

  She stared into the dancing flames, watching as they licked hungrily at the night air, consuming everything they touched. A chill ran down her spine despite the fire's warmth. "And I'm just a cog in that arcane mechanism." As she spoke the words, something stirred deep within her—a power she hadn't felt before, awakening like an ancient creature from slumber, stretching through her veins with a sensation both terrifying and exhilarating.

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